Philadelphia 76ers Add Yet Another Pick In Trade With Dallas Mavericks

The Philadelphia 76ers found a home for Nerlens Noel, but the package received is rather underwhelming.

Two things — taxes and death — are guaranteed in life. We may have to add a third thing to that list: If the Philadelphia 76ers make a trade, they will receive some sort of draft compensation. They pulled off the feat once again today, as they agreed to a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

The 76ers agreed to trade Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks in exchange for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a protected 2017 first-round pick.

The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the deal on his Twitter account.

Philadelphia is sending Nerlens Noel to Dallas for Justin Anderson and a first-round draft pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017

Dallas center Andrew Bogut will go to the 76ers in the Noel trade too, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that the first round pick heading to Philadelphia is a conditional first-round pick, as it is protected from picks 1-18. There is a strong chance that the 76ers don’t receive that pick, as the Mavericks currently own the seventh-worst record in the NBA.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the pick will turn into a 2017 second-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder if the first-rounder is not conveyed. That is probably not the compensation the 76ers were hoping to land for Noel, but it was better to get something than nothing for him.

This trade ends the Noel saga that has been going on for months. It has been an open secret that the 76ers need to make a move involving one of their centers. Joel Embiid, when healthy, looks like a legitimate building block. That left Noel and Jahlil Okafor as the logical trade pieces.

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Philadelphia has dangled both in trade talks, and finally found a deal they liked that involved Noel, who was reportedly the player they preferred to trade.

While they may not receive the first round pick this season, the 76ers receive a solid wing player in Anderson. He should find a spot in their rotation right off the bat. Anderson can help at small forward, where the 76ers have been relying mostly on Robert Covington. He can also give spot minutes at shooting guard and power forward.

The point of moving Noel was to clear up the logjam in the frontcourt; so why have the 76ers added a center in both trades they have made? Well, the 76ers aren’t afraid to add salary if it means acquiring better trade compensation.

On Wednesday the 76ers acquired Tiago Splitter — who has played as many minutes as I have in the NBA this season — in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova. For taking Splitter off the Atlanta Hawks’ hands, they received two second round picks.

For taking Bogut from the Mavericks, the 76ers receive a protected first-round pick in 2017. That means the 76ers could potentially have added three picks in what is expected to be a loaded 2017 draft, though again, it’s unlikely to convey.

Philadelphia can add another lottery pick should the Los Angeles Lakers fall out of the top-three of the draft as well.

Adding salary has been as standard in trades for Philadelphia as adding draft picks. But, they have no use for Bogut on a rebuilding team. Could they pull off another trade involving him prior to the deadline?

Marc Stein said that the 76ers will work on finding Bogut a new home via trade before discussing a buyout. If they are unable to find a new landing spot for the center, Adrian Wojnarowski reports Bogut wants to become a free agent.

If the 76ers do not find another deal for Bogut, this could be considered a loss for them. Trading Noel, a useful center, for a struggling Anderson and a first round pick they are unlikely to receive this season is an underwhelming package, especially when it converts to two second-rounders.

They can probably thank the Kings for that, as the trade package they accepted for DeMarcus Cousins forced other teams shopping centers to drastically drop their price.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

If arguably the best center in the NBA fetches only one first-round pick, how could Philadelphia expect to land more than they did for Noel?